Community Composting and How to Create Your Own Compost Pile

August 5, 2014

Composting is the oldest and one of the best ways to not only get rid of biodegradable waste, but also put it to good use. Once you figure out the right mixture and the amount of moisture and size of compost particles, composting is fairly easy.

Composting is a little strenuous if you intend to do it individually, so it is best that an entire community works together for the process of composting. Biodegradable waste generated by a community can be collected and transported to a fixed location for composting hence helping an entire community.

The following are a few points to remember when you create your own compost pile:

If you don’t manage your food scraps properly it will attract unwanted animals and insects and will also release a foul odour.

Community composting requires less time and equipment.

Manual turning of compost will hasten the process.

Compost is biodegradable and is added to soil to help plants grow.

Do not throw away garden waste. Compost it instead.

By composting biodegradable wastes you are saving place in landfills and avoiding the production of harmful gasses and liquids.

To make the most nutritious compost pile you need to have the right amount of browns and greens. Alternately apply different layers of biodegradable materials.

Brown organic material comprises of waste like dead leaves, branches, and twigs while green organic material comprises of waste like grass clippings, vegetable waste, fruit scraps, and ground coffee. The addition of water is also important as it keeps the microorganisms alive that helps the process of decomposition and composing.

What to Compost?

Tea bags

Hay and straw

Leaves

Sawdust

Eggshells

Coffee grounds and filters

Nut shells

Fruits and vegetables

Shredded newspaper

Cardboard

Paper

Wood chips

Cotton and Wool Rags

Dryer and vacuum cleaner lint

Hair and fur

Fireplace ashes

Yard trimmings

Grass clippings

Houseplants

What Not To Compost?

Coal

Dairy products

Diseased plants

Fats

Grease

Oil

Meat or fish bones and scraps

Animal waste

Chemical pesticides

Why must we Compost?

Composting retains moisture and enriches the soil. It also suppresses pests and plant diseases and helps produce bacteria and fungi that break down organic matter which is beneficial as it creates humus. Humus is a nutrient that gives compost its nourishing element. If you use composting you are decreasing the need for chemical fertilizers. Composting also lowers your carbon footprint and reduces methane emissions from landfills.

Source: Some of this information has been sourced from: http://www2.epa.gov/recycle/composting-home